Trees That Produce Pink Flowers

If you’re thinking of growing pink flowering trees in your garden, explore my list of suggestions below. My name is Elizabeth Smith, and I’m a qualified horticulturist; these 10 pink flowering trees are personal favourites of mine, and I’ve either grown them in my own garden or tended to them in a professional capacity.

1) Japanese Cherry (Cherry Blossom)

I’ll start with one of the most famous pink-flowering trees, Prunus ‘Kanzan’, also known as the Japanese Cherry or Cherry Blossom, which is known and loved by gardeners for its striking pink blossom flowers. This is a deciduous tree with a spreading, vase-shaped habit that provides a stunning colourful display in spring.

Key points:

• Grows to 20-30 feet (6-9m) tall and 15-25 feet (4.5-7.6m) wide.
• Blooms in mid-spring (April-May in the UK).
• It produces double pink flowers with 20-30 petals each, creating a dense, frilly, fluffy appearance.
• It prefers full sun.

My tips:

I grew a Cherry Blossom tree in my previous garden and it was always a showstopper every spring, with its profusion of eye-catching pink blossoms a talking point. I’ve found that it requires little maintenance, aside from occasional pruning to maintain its shape. While I did find aphids on it for few years, they were never overly damaging.

2) Magnolia Susan

Magnolia ‘Susan’ is a compact, deciduous tree with an upright habit, which I feel is perfect for small and medium-sized gardens. It is known for its elegant, fragrant, and deep pink-purple flowers that, interestingly, appear before the foliage in spring.

Key points:

• Grows to 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) tall and 6-10 feet (1.8-3m) wide.
• Blooms in mid to late spring (April-May in the UK).
• Deep pink-purple, goblet-shaped flowers with a light, somewhat spicy fragrance.
  
• I’ve found that it prefers full sun or light shade and well-draining, acidic to neutral soil.

My experience:

I really like how the flowers appear before the foliage, which makes them really stand out and pop. I grow mine in a slightly shaded spot and it’s performed well and bloomed reliably. I’ve never had issues with pests and the tree blends in well with my larger shrubs.

3) Crabapple

Malus ‘Rudolph’, commonly known as the Crabapple, is a small deciduous tree with a compact, rounded growth habit. Its pink flowers give way to attractive bright red fruit, which provides interest throughout the year.

Key points:

• I’ve seen them grow to 15-20 feet (4.5-6m) tall and 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) wide.
• Blooms in mid to late spring (usually May in my UK garden).
• You can expect semi-double, pink flowers that I’ve seen attract pollinators
• From experience, I know it is susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, apple scab, and fireblight.

My experience:

I’ve had a Crabapple for several years in my rear garden and the pink flowers are popular with bees and other pollinators, and the small red fruit attracts birds, often for several months. I like that the foliage in spring is quite small, which really helps the delightful pink blooms to stand out.

4) Judas Tree

Cercis siliquastrum, more commonly known as the Judas Tree, is a small, deciduous tree with a rounded canopy. Its distinctive feature is the clusters of pea-shaped deep pink flowers that appear directly on the branches and trunk before the 10cm heart-shaped foliage emerges.

Key points:

• Typically grows to 15-25 feet (4.5-7.6m) tall and 15-20 feet (4.5-6m) wide.
• Blooms in late spring (I’ve seen it flower from April-May in the UK).
• Clusters of deep pink, pea-like flowers that I’ve seen appear directly on the branches and trunk.
• Prefers full sun or light shade and well-draining, neutral to alkaline soil.
• I’ve never heard of pests or diseases being of particular concern.

My experience:

I looked after several Judas Trees many years ago and they were fuss-free and low maintenance. Each year they produced unusual pea-like pods of flowers which often grew directly from the woody branches and trunk, which itself is unusual.

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5) Pink Flowering Almond Tree

Prunus triloba, also known as the Flowering Almond, is a deciduous shrub or small tree with an upright, spreading habit. It is prized for its profusion of double, rose-like pink flowers that cover the bare branches in spring.

Key points:

• I’ve seen it grows to 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) tall and 8-12 feet (2.4-3.6m) wide.
• It blooms in early to mid-spring (March-April in my UK garden).
• The flowers resemble small roses and cover the branches, almost completely.
• I’ve only ever grown the Flowering Almond tree in full sun.

More:

In my garden, it grew to around roof gutter height and each spring, the bare branches were covered in small pink flowers, each which stamens. I never had any issues with pests or diseases, and I kept pruning to a minimum.

6) Pink Dogwood

This is a personal favourite of mine as many years ago, I used to manage a garden where there were several dozen of these specimens and they always impressed me with their pink petal-like bracts that surround the inner blooms. Pink Dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Rubra’) is a small deciduous tree with a broad, spreading canopy which blooms in spring.

Key points:

• They grow to 15-25 feet (4.5-7.6m) tall and 20-25 feet (6-7.6m) wide but are slow growing.
• You can expect blooms in late spring (April-May in the UK).
• The pink petal-like bracts are fairly large and surround the inner blooms which are yellow.
• Pink Dogwoods prefer partial shade.
• The leaves turn a deep red and purple in the autumn.

My experience:

I managed these trees in a garden years ago and we found the roots were very shallow and disliked competing for water with other plants, including grass. During a hot and dry summer, we also noticed the trees struggle but they benefited from twice-weekly watering until autumn and a good, thick layer of mulch around the base helped as well.

7) Crape Myrtle Pink Flowering Tree

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are often associated with Spain, Italy and the south of France, but they can survive in warmer parts of the UK, provided they are in full sun and have shelter from the wind. I’ve seen them perform well in large pots too, and for those worried that they may not survive the UK winter, consider “Indiya Charms“, which is bred for the northern climate.

Key points:

• Grows to 10-20 feet (3-6m) tall and 6-12 feet (1.8-3.6m) wide in cooler climates such as the UK.
• I’ve seen this tree several times, and it’s very slow growing, taking at least 20 years to reach 5 metres.
• This tree will flower from July to August in the UK and is deciduous.
• Large clusters of vibrant pink flowers that last several weeks
• Grow in full sun in a sheltered spot.

My experience:

I’ve seen a few Crape Myrtles in the UK and they were all in the southeast of the country. I’ve also worked with them in southern Europe, where they thrived in the warmer climate. The conical-shaped panicles are most delightful and unlike many pink-flowering trees, they bloom in the summer rather than the spring.

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8) Lilac “Charles Joly”

‘Charles Joly’, a cultivar of the Common Lilac, is a deciduous shrub or small tree with an upright, spreading habit. I had one in my previous garden, and it was a pleasure to grow – the huge cluster of blooms was very eye-catching against the deep-green foliage.

Key points:

• Grows to 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) tall and 6-10 feet (1.8-3m) wide, but I’ve found it best to prune it after flowering to help keep a neat shape.
• Can be a shrub or tree.
• The pink flowers are very flagrant and bloom in clusters.
• Prefers a sunny spot.

My tips:

Make sure the roots are kept away from boggy soil, and mulch yearly with lots of organic matter.

Discover more:

How to grow lilac shrubs and trees.

9) Rhododendron ‘Percy Wiseman’

Rhododendron ‘Percy Wiseman’ is a compact, evergreen shrub or small tree with a rounded habit. It is celebrated for its stunning, trumpet-shaped flowers that change colour as they mature, displaying shades of pink, cream, and peach.

Key points:

• I previously grew one of these, and it reached 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8m) tall and wide, making it suitable for small gardens.
• It blooms in mid to late spring (April-May in the UK).
• It has trumpet-shaped flowers that change colour from pink to cream and peach as they mature, with all shades present simultaneously.
• I found it very easy to care for and didn’t have any issues with pests or diseases.

Best features:

I liked the way the flowers changed colour and also its compact size and the deep green foliage. This would also be a good choice for near pine trees and in acidic soil.

10) Camellia Japonica ‘Pink Perfection’

Camellias are one of my favourite early-season bloomers and in my garden, they put on a show as early as February. There are many Camellias to choose from, but I have a “Pink Perfection” in a slightly shaded spot in my garden, and it’s thriving.

Key points:

• Grows to 6-10 feet (1.8-3m) tall and 5-7 feet (1.5-2.1m) wide.
• In my garden, they bloom in late winter to early spring (February-March in the UK).
• They prefer partial sun to light shade.
• Slow growing, typically reaching full height in 15-20 years.
• Another shrub/tree that’s suitable for acidic soil.

Discover more:

Gardenia’s guide to growing camellias.

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